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Water-Wise Plants for Southern California Gardens

Sustaining Nature and
Gardens with Less Water

Listed below are just a few of the hundreds of Water-Wise plants for local gardens. For more information about any of these plants, and many more, visit our Roger’s Gardens Plant Finder.

Trees

Water-Wise Plants
Strawberry Tree Arbutus unedo and ‘Marina’ California Redbud* Cercis occidentalis
Toyon* Hetermeles arbutifolia Sweet Bay Laurus nobilis
Desert Willow* Chilopsis linearis Manzanita* Arctostaphylos species
Olive Olea europea Pines Pinus species
Oak* Quercus species Coreopsis* Coreopsis species
Cypress* Cupressus sempervirens  

* = California native plant

Shrubs

Water-Wise Plants
Pincushion Flower Leuospermum species Cleveland Sage* Salvia clevelandii
Rosemary Rosemarinus officinalis Toyon* Hetermeles arbutifolia
Manzanita* Arctostaphylos species Westringia Westringia species
Lemonade Berry Rhus integrifolia Hollyleaf Cherry* Prunus illicifolia
Rockrose Cistus species Butterfly Bush Buddleja davidii
Podocarpus Podocarpus species California Lilac* Ceanothus species
Phormium Phormium species Bush Poppy* Dendromecon rigida
Privit Ligustrum species Hop Bush Dodonea viscosa
Desert Mallow* Sphaeralcea ambigua Grevillea Grevillea species
Leucadendron Leucadendron species Sweet Bay Laurus nobilis

* = California native plant

Perennials

Water-Wise Plants
Sage* Salvia species Buckwheat* Eriogonum species
Lavender Lavandula species Lantana Lantana species
Island Coral Bells* Heuchera maxima California Fuchsia* Epilobium canum
Yarrow* Achillea species Native Milkweed* Asclepias species
Douglas Iris* Iris douglasii Penstemon* Penstemon species
Euphorbia Spurge Euphorbia species Kangaroo Paw Anigozanthus species
Blanket Flower Gaillardia pulchella Coyote Mint* Monardella villosa

* = California native plant

Annuals & Flowers

Water-Wise Plants
California Poppy* Eschscholzia californica African Daisy Arctotus species
Bidens Bidens species Coreopsis* Coreopsis species
Farewell to Spring* Clarkia Marigold Tagetes species
Desert Marigold* Baileya multiradiata Sage Salvias

* = California native plant

Groundcovers

Water-Wise Plants
Rosemary Rosemarinus officinalis Strawberry* Fragaria vesca
Carpet of Stars Ruschia lineolata 'Nana' Coyote Brush* Baccharis pilularis
Common Lippia* Lippia nodiflora Silver Carpet Dymondia margareta
Lantana Lantana species Buffalograss Buchloe dactyloides ‘UC Verde’

* = California native plant

Vines

Water-Wise Plants
Bougainvillea Bougainvillea spectabilis Wisteria Wisteria species
California Grape* Vitis californica

* = California native plant

Fruits, Herbs and Edibles

Water-Wise Plants
Pomegranate Oregano Marjarom Guava
Fig Sage* Citrus Taragon*
English Thyme Rosemary Artichoke

* = California native plant

Succulents

Water-Wise Plants With a few exceptions, most succulents are quite Water Wise.

Trees

Water-Wise Plants
Strawberry Tree Arbutus unedo and ‘Marina’
California Redbud* Cercis occidentalis
Toyon* Hetermeles arbutifolia
Sweet Bay Laurus nobilis
Desert Willow* Chilopsis linearis
Manzanita* Arctostaphylos species
Olive Olea europea
Pines Pinus species
Oak* Quercus species
Coreopsis* Coreopsis species
Cypress* Cupressus sempervirens

* = California native plant

Shrubs

Water-Wise Plants
Pincushion Flower Leuospermum species
Cleveland Sage* Salvia clevelandii
Rosemary Rosemarinus officinalis
Toyon* Hetermeles arbutifolia
Manzanita Arctostaphylos species
Westringia Westringia species
Lemonade Berry Rhus integrifolia
Hollyleaf Cherry* Prunus illicifolia
Rockrose Cistus species
Butterfly Bush Buddleja davidii
Podocarpus Podocarpus species
California Lilac* Ceanothus species
Phormium Phormium species
Bush Poppy Dendromecon rigida
Privit Ligustrum species
Hop Bush Dodonea viscosa
Desert Mallow* Sphaeralcea ambigua
Grevillea Grevillea species
Leucadendron Leucadendron species
Sweet Bay Laurus nobilis

* = California native plant

Perennials

Water-Wise Plants
Sage* Salvia species
Buckwheat* Eriogonum species
Lavender Lavandula species
Lantana Lantana species
Island Coral Bells* Heuchera maxima
California Fuchsia* Epilobium canum
Yarrow* Achillea species
Native Milkweed* Asclepias species
Douglas Iris* Iris douglasii
Penstemon* Penstemon species
Euphorbia Spurge Euphorbia species
Kangaroo Paw Anigozanthus species
Blanket Flower Gaillardia pulchella
Coyote Mint* Monardella villosa

* = California native plant

Annuals & Flowers

Water-Wise Plants
California Poppy* Eschscholzia californica
African Daisy Arctotus species
Bidens Bidens species
Coreopsis* Coreopsis species
Farewell to Spring* Clarkia
Marigold Tagetes species
Desert Marigold* Baileya multiradiata
Sage Salvias

* = California native plant

Groundcovers

Water-Wise Plants
Rosemary Rosemarinus officinalis
Strawberry* Fragaria vesca
Carpet of Stars Ruschia lineolata 'Nana'
Coyote Brush* Baccharis pilularis
Common Lippia* Lippia nodiflora
Silver Carpet Dymondia margareta
Lantana Lantana species
Buffalograss Buchloe dactyloides ‘UC Verde’

* = California native plant

Vines

Water-Wise Plants
Bougainvillea Bougainvillea spectabilis
Wisteria Wisteria species
California Grape* Vitis californica

* = California native plant

Fruits, Herbs and Edibles

Water-Wise Plants
Pomegranate Oregano
Marjarom Guava
Fig Sage*
Citrus Taragon*
English Thyme Rosemary
Artichoke

* = California native plant

Succulents

Water-Wise Plants
With a few exceptions, most succulents are quite Water Wise.




Water-Wise